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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Southern porch with vintage farmhouse style

I always anticipate getting the porches ready for summer, despite the amount of work it is, and after a week of hard work pressure washing, re-staining decking, painting railings, and moving and repainting furniture -- then getting everything back in place, I am happy to say the porches are cleaned, styled and ready for our family to enjoy.

All the furniture was literally sitting around the yard all week as we battled spider webs, bees nests, algae and damage from winter snow scraping, but it was worth it to get everything clean and fresh.

I changed a few things including the rugs that had been down for eight years. They held up *amazingly* well but were getting threadbare so I decided to go with outdoor rugs and found the perfect ones at Big Lots for $44 each. I like that they add a modern touch to all the vintage items. I am expecting these to do well out here and be here for a long time. You can see the old rugs HERE.

I added some toile fabric I had with the pink ticking and black floral outdoor fabric I bought years ago.

Antique railroad lanterns flank an antique sign.

Since there are five of us, I wanted a spot for everyone to sit as we are out here quite a lot, so I brought up these chairs that had come with our outdoor dining set. I sanded and repainted all these as the black powder-coated finish looked gray and dull. Amazingly, these are the cushions that came with the chairs, and even though they pretty much stay out all year, they look great after a good pressure washing. I made the throw pillows from leftover fabric, and secured them with ties as my mother's Norwegian Elkhound loves to steal pillows:-)

Pink geraniums in white pots are a great accent with all the black.

I, for the most part, *always* only buy vintage, but couldn't pass up this cute tray at Walmart. I love that it has handles and can be used for different things. The galvanized look really adds to the "farmhouse" feel.

You will notice I did not hang ferns from the porch, like I usually do, but chose to use them in other places.

As much as I like the hanging ferns, they impede the amazing view and kind of get in the way. We'll see how long I can go without them hanging, though, because it's something I have always done:-)

I can't tell you how much we enjoy sitting out here and enjoying family time together. It really is worth the work because it's such a nice, comfortable and pleasant space -- especially hearing our mountain creek and enjoying the beautiful views. But having a place to gather with the kids and enjoy nature is just the best and something I will remember. I hope they will also look back on these times with fond memories when they are grown:-)

There are two more porches to go that I will share later. Thanks for stopping by!!

Your porch is just beautiful, and I can imagine your family enjoying the view and each other here. I laughed over your mother's dog stealing pillows. The squirrels here use the stuffing in ours for their nests! I love the colors and textures you've chosen, and you've inspired me to make our front porch more inviting for the summer.

I think I'll sit a spell with glass of tea and enjoy your beautiful view and you can tell me more about your family history and your travels. A retreat with the sound of a creek and hearing the wind through the trees. This is what I think when I view your gorgeous pictures. Your porch looks very welcoming, Kathleen in Az

I cannot imagine how wonderful it must be to sit in those pretty rockers and take in your gorgeous views!....Love, love the porch and how it is so wonderfully decorated...and I would have never thought to look in Big Lots for a rug...Love the rug!!!

Thank you Shirley! I should have mentioned that I looked EVERYWHERE for a rug for weeks. I looked online, in the few stores we have here and then found these and liked them best. Plus the price was the lowest also.

What lovely styling you have done for your front porch. I just moved into a home with a porch for the first time ever and am anxious to find my style and figure out exactly what I want to do with it. I love the inspiration here! I would love it if you would come by and share this at Celebrate it Sunday!